Label for commodity-packages.



G. G. FRELINGHUYSEN.

LABEL FOR COMMODITY PACKAGES.

APPLICATION FILED H58. :5. ms.

7 1,29,431 1 atented Dec. 31,1918.

5M ITIHS GINGER ALE 5M 1 TH J ALE GEORGE G. FRELINGHUYSEN, OF MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY, lhSSIGNOR TO STEEL UTILITIES, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

LABEL FOR COMMODITY-PACKAGES.

Patented'Dec. 31, 1918.

Original application filed October 11, 1916, Serial No. 125,120. Divided and this application filed February 15, 1918. Serial No. 217,332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. FRELING- I-IUYSEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Morris county, in the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Labels for Commodity- Packages, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a novel dated commodity package label, which label has primarily three particular objects and advantages, although possessed of other feacommodities a dating of packages Which is decipherable by the user or consumer will oftentimes create unfounded prejudice as to the condition of thecontents, the user or consumer basing his judgment of the ac ceptibili-ty or fitness of'the contents on the marked date rather'than on a sampling of the contents of the package.

(6) The desirability of preserving the neat, pleasing, and artistic appearance of the label and general external appearance of commodity packages, as in many lines of merchandise great thought, labor, artistic ability and expense are bestowed 1 on the making'and aflixing of labels to packages, as a meansof enhancing-the attractiveness and desirability thereof so as to increase sales and to build up the good will of the particular brand.

(c) The desirability of rapidly, easily and economically marking the labels themselves,

and also the desirability of simplifying,

facilitating and expediting the application of the labels to the commodity package, especially where this is done by machinery.

The present application is a division of my application'Ser. No. 125,120 filed October 11, 1916.

The accompanying drawings are an exemplificafion of a'particular label embodying the invention, and of a machine which may be employed in dating such labels in the manner already explained, the labels being marked in gangs or packages.

Of the drawings Figure l is an end elevation of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate labels.

It ha been the practice to date labels by punching or perforating numerals therethrough corresponding to the month, day and year, but this is objectionable because it causes adjacent labels to stick together,

and thus interferes withand stops the label afiixingmachine, causing a waste of both time and labels. Furthermore, so marking the labels is tedious and expensive, as the labels can be punched only in small groups or bunches, and the punches are rapidly dulled and must be frequently replaced. With certain lines of mechandise suohuniversally decipherable dating by perforating t e numerals of the day ofmonth and year in the label is objectionable, as consumers are thereby frequently groundlessly prejudiced against commodities.

By means of the present invention, the labels may be marked in packs or bundles f thousands, the marking of a group of one or more thousands of labels consuming very little labor, and sufiicient labels for the daily output of even the largest factories may thus be chronologically marked in a very brief time. Further by this invent-ion the marking of the labels, does not cause them to stick together, also there is but little wear on the marking mechanism, and when desired the'mark may be undecipherable by the consumer. V

Referring to the accompanying drawings, illustrating'by way of example an embodiment of the invention, the labels 00 which may number hundreds or thousands, are firmly clamped together in a carrier, and

-when so clamped their edges are indented at selected places or pointsfcorre'sponding to months and days of the month. As shown, the labels at are of irregular conformation although rectangular or circular or other shaped labels may beemployed if desired. The label holder comprises end plates 1 and 2, to one of which is attached a side and'bottom support 3. The other end 2 marked.

The plates 1 and 2 of the carrier are movable from each other to receive the labels m and are movable toward each other to firmly press together and hold the labelsfor marking. In the embodied form, the end plates 1 and 2 are provided, respectively, withinternally screw-threaded bosses 1 and 5, which bosses are in threaded engagement with a right-hand and left-hand screwthreaded shaft 6. l/Vhen the shaft 6 is turned in one direction, the plates 1 and 2 recede from each other and when the shaft 6 is turned in the other direction, plates 1 and 2 approach each other and press together and firmly hold the labels as. The end plates 1 and 2 have at their bottoms projections ,7 and 8, which enter into and travel along a groove 9 in a bed plate 10 of the machine. The shaft 6 is conveniently provid'ed with a handwheel 11 for turning it in either direction. The shaft 6 is rotatably journaled in bearings 12 and 13 formed on the machine frame, and is longitudinally slidable or reciprocable in its bearings to feed the labels past the marking device. 7

The embodied form of marking device comprises a rotating miller or saw 14,

1 mounted on a shaft 15 of a motor 16, the

saw 14 being preferably Within a safety casing 17.

Means are provided for relatively positioning the marking device 14 and the gang or labels w in accordance with the day and month to be marked on the label. In the embodied form of such means, the motor 16 is slidable (to the right and left in Fig. 1) upon'a table 18, which table is carried upon a bracket 19 fixed to the machine frame. The base 20 of the motor is formed to slide upon the table 19 and has aportion projecting into a grooved guideway 21 in the face of the tabl'e'19. Projecting downwardly from the base 20 is aninternally screw-threaded lug 22. The lug 22 is in threaded engagement with a screw shaft 23, which shaft'is journaled in supports 21 and 25 formed on the underside of the table 18. The screw shaft 23 maybe provided with a handle 26.

V Chronological indications are provided for indicating the position of the'marking device 1% relatively to the labels in the holder. With the form of label shown, it is convenient to indicate the dates by secretmarkings at the edgesa, b, 0, and d of the labels. Thus anyone of four points or positions along edge a may be selected for notching and may be used for the first four-months of the year- Four similar points or positions at the edge I) may be used and may be limit of one week.

of these positionswould indicate the month of the year inwhich the commodity was packaged. At the edge cl, wouldbe four positions'i'ndicating the weeks ofthe'month, thus two notches, selectively placed in the edge of the label, one notch at the proper noint in either of edges or, b or 0, and the other notch at the proper pointin edge (Z, would give the date of packaging within a "It will be obvious that the arrangement of notches may be varied as desired to indicate the precise day of the month, and also to indicate the year of pack aging in like manner where this might be clesirable. 7 If it is desired to keep the date secret from the consumer, there needbeno typographical or other indications upon the labelwhich would be ordinarily decipherable, while on the other hand if this should not be an object, numerals could be placed upon the label whereby thedate could be read. It will usually be found sufficient for the secret or arbitrary markingstobear a definite predetermined relation to the edges, or otherwise to the contour of the label, or'to the lettering or othermarkings on the label used to describe or decorate the package or otherwise. If desired, a master plate or index may be utilized by the manufacturer to read the secret marking of the labels, but usually in practice the labels can be read by theeye of one familiar therewith and knowing the system of secret marking.

In the embodied form, as stated, the rela tive change of position between the marking-- device and the clamped labels for indicating the date is eifected bymoving the motor and marking device to the right and to the left in base 20 of the motor 16. The four marks on V i the table correspond to the points .or positions on the edges of the labelfor days,- weeksor months, and the mark 28 corre-. sponds to .the selected date which will be marked by'themarking device- The mark ing device 14: may be accurately positioned by turning the handle 26 of the screw" shaft.

The shaft 6 is drawn forward or back so that the labels clamped in the carrier may be clear of the marking device, say to the right in Fig. 2 as the shaft is slidable in its bearings 12 and '13.. Shaft 6 is rotated to move pla-tes'l and 2 away from each other so that the gang or package of labels m'may be placed within the carrier. Shaft 6 is then rotated in the opposite direction 'to press plates 1 and 2 together and so firmly. hold the gang of labels as. The motor 16 is started, and the shaft 6 is moved longitudinally, sliding in its bearings 12 and 13, and carrying the plates L and 5 with the gang of labels, to feed the labels past the marker 14, thereby marking them at the selected chronological point.

The labels can be applied to the package by any suitable or approved packaging or label aiiixing machine and these machines or their manner of operation need not be described in detail herein.

lVhat I claim is 1. A commodity label having a mark thereon located with respect to the label to s indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

2. A commodity label having a notch in the edge thereof located with respect to the label to indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

8. A commodity label having a plurality of marks thereon so located with respect to the label as together to indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

4. A commodity label having a plurality Copies of this patent may be obtained for of marks thereon arbitrarily located with respect to the label so as together to indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

5. A commodity label having a plurality of marks in the edge thereof so located with respect to the label that together they indicate the date of the packaging of the commodity.

6. A commodity label having a plurality of marks thereon so located with respect to the label with reference to the lettering or other markings on the label as together to indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

7. A commodity label having a mark thereon so located with reference to the lettering or other markings on the label as to indicate the date of packaging of the commodity.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE Gr. FREDINGHUYSEN.

Vvitnesses:

LOUIS A. HAWTHORNE, ERNEST M. TAPNER.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of ratents.

Washington, D. G. 

